Centrifugal circuit-breaker.



Patentefi May 4, 1915.

1121; niar 7 6 141i arney C. F. RUMOLD.

CENTRIFUGAL CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 12,1913.

wz'i nesses wiwm/ CHRISTIAN F. RUMOLD, OF BEREA, KENTUCKY.

CENTRIFUGAL CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4-, 1915.

Application filed March 12, 1913. Serial No. 753,872.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN F. RUM- oLo, acitizen of the United States, residing at Berea, in the county ofMadison and the State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Centrifugal Circuit-Breakers, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to speed controlled circuit breakers and its objectis to provide a simple and economical apparatus which will be thoroughlyreliable for breaking an electric circuit upon rise of speed of someelement with which the electric current is associated.

The deviceis especially suitable for controlling the speed of trains orother vehicles by providing the vehicles with some kind of stoppingmeans actuated or allowed to be actuated through the intermediary of anelectric current so that this stopping means operates as soon as thespeed of the vehicle reaches an undesirable rate.

My invention consistsin the parts and in the details of construction andarrangement' of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described andclaimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus constructedand arranged according to my invention, the circuit breaker being shownin section, and with the circuit completed; and Fig. 2 is a sectionalview of the circuit breaker showing how the circuit is broken.

As shown herein, a battery 1 is included in a circuit comprising aconductor 2 leading therefrom to a contact bar 3 which forms part of thecircuit breaker4. This circuit breaker comprises a hollow body 41containing a suitable quantity of mercury or other suitable contactfluid 5 normally in engagement with the lower terminal parts of thecontact bar 3 and another contact bar 6. Another conductor 9 leads fromthe contact bar 6 to one end of an electro-magnet coil 10 and aconductor 11 leads from the other end of said coil to the other pole ofthe battery 1.

The hollow body 41, which is preferably spheroidal as shown and whichmay be made of any suitable material, is preferably journaled to rotateabout a vertical axis in bearings 42 and 43 in a stationary frame 44. Aninsulating sleeve 45 is fixed on the frame 44 by a bolt 46 and extendsdown into the hollow body 41 with the contact bars 3 and 6 extendingthrough it and with their lower terminal parts exposed for contact withthe liquid 5 and with their upper terminal parts exposed for connectionto the conductors 2 and 9. A dynamo 25 has a shaft 36 with a bevel gear39 fixed thereon and meshing with a bevel gear 40 fixed on a downwardextension of the hollow body 40 coaxial therewith. The dynamo shaft 36also has a gear 36' fixed on it and meshing with a gear 37 fixed on theshaft 38, which, as shown, is the axle of a car or other vehicle. Thisdynamo may be included in a circuit forming part of a system of traincontrol which need not be herein described in detail. If the dynamo isnot used the hollow body may be ope'ratively connected to the shaft 38to be rotated directly thereby. The electro-magnet coil 10 may attract abar 47 which may actuate any suitable means for stopping or braking thevehicle when released by the magnet coil.

It will be understood that in any instance the speed of rotation of thehollow body 41 will be proportional to the speed of rotation of theshaft 38, and, in the present example, to the speed of travel of thevehicle. Where used on different vehicles the ratio of the gearing maybe varied to give the hollow body the proper speed of rotation as may benecessary in connection with vehicle wheels of different diameters. Theparts are so designed that upon rise of the speed of rotation of theshaft 38 to an objectionable degree, the mercury or other liquid 5 inthe hollow body 41 will be thrown by centrifugal force from its positionin the bottom of the vessel as shown in Fig. 1 out toward the sides ofthe vessel as shown in Fig. 2, thus leaving the lower terminal parts ofthe contact bars disconnected electrically and opening the circuit inwhich the battery 1 and coil 10 are included, deenergizing the magnetand allowing the element 47 to act. As soon as the speed falls below theobjectionable rate, the liquid 5 will return to its position and willmaintain the electrical connection between the lower terminal parts ofthe bars 3 and 6 as long as the speed remains below the objectionablerate. It will also be understood that my invention is capable ofassociation with other details of a train control apparatus which neednot be here specifically shown or described, and that a dynamo may besubstituted for the battery 1, or the dynamo 25, when used, may

be caused to supply the current in the circuit which the circuit breakercontrols.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A centrifugal circuit breaker comprising a container, contact fluidtherein, separate contact bars extending into the container to beelectrically connected by said contact fluid, a sleeve supporting saidcontact bars and insulating them from each other, a neck on saidcontainer around said sleeve, between which and said, sleeve a closureis container alined with said sleeve and said neck, a frame, bearings inthe frame for the bearing means of the container, and a sup- 8.

port on said frame for said sleeve.

CHRISTIAN F. RUMOLD.

Witnesses:

Oms. D. Lnwrs, Homes E. GROMEB.

